Fourdriner machine.



, Patented} M137. 1918] ymwu MENTOR pnrrnn are thh ll lal lilll JOHN ALPINE, 03E S'IEVENS PUINT, WISCONSIN.

FOURDRINIER JlIlIl-tfillilll l'li.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patontagd Aug; 13., llg ld.

Application filed June 2, 191%. Serial No. mason.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, John ALPINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Stevens Point, county of Portage, and State of Wisconsin, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Fourdrinier Machines, of which the following a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in Fourdrinier machines.

The object of any invention. is to provide improved means for adjusting the inclination oi the initial. or Wire conveyor in accordan es With the stock, whereby the inclination of the Wire cloth may he varied WltllOllb readjusting or interfering in any way With the feeding means, the breast rollremaining at a uniform height, whereas the couch rolls are lifted or lowered to vary the inclination of the cloth. lit is diilicult to regulate the feed of the stock Where the breast roll is raised or lowered, thereby supporting the initlal or receiving end oi? the Wire cloth at varying levels With reference to the reservoir from which the steel; is delivered, but it has heretofore beendeeincd necessary to do this for the reason that it Was assumed to be inr possible to net the couch roll Without varying the distance hetvveen ghe apron and the suction bones, and between the couch roll. and the take of? conveyor. My invention contemplates mounting the suction boxes,

guide roll, couch roll and tal'reofi roll upon an adjustable platform which may be raised.

and lowered and. the inclination, of which may he varied as desired to suit the require mentsot the Work, Without varying the relation oi'ithese elements to each other. In this manner, ll am enabled to employ a set of jack screws which can be quickly adjusted to the desired position in accordance with the .requireincnts of the stock and Without adecting the operation of the machine in any Way except to vary the rate of flow of the stock along. the initial portion oi the Wire cloth in so far as such flow is due to gravity and therefore affected by the variation in the inclinatioii ot' the cloth.

in the drawings Figure 1 is aside elevation of the front end of a Four'drinier machineshowing the position.

like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The manner and is permitted to iiovv along the apron 2 to the breast roller 3, around which the 'Wll' cloth 4: passes at its ie ceivingend. The Wire cloth is of ordinaryconstruction. and receives the stock from the vat 1 in any ordinary manner, the apron 2 being illustrated conventionally as representing any suitable means 'Eorieeding the stock to the roller, y i

The platform 5 is pivotally connected at 7 with any suitable support, such for example as the posts-5 8. (lack screws ll and 12 support the platform at its rear end and preferably at intermediate points, these jack screws having screw threaded. hearings in bed blocks 13, whereby the platform 5 may he swung about its pivotal axis at 7. Each of the jack screws is provided with a swiveledQor pref erably universall; jointed,head piece 15, which may, ii? desired, be permitted to slide on the under surface of the platform to avoid cramping When the position of the platform is changed. A sliding movement of the members 15 along t" e platform 5 is, however, hardly necessary, as the are in which the Jlatform swings at the points where the jack screws are located, has very slight curvatu re, loosely articulated with the upper ends of the screws, ordinary adjustments may be made without crampingeiiects. y y

The frame 17 Which supportsthe suction boxes 18 and the idler rollers 19, over which the Wire apron extends, is supported by a set of standards 21 and 22, the latter being provided with a bracket 2a which supports stock is icd'lrom a vat 1 in the usual and if the members 15 are the guide roll 25. Couch roll 27 is also supported from the platform 5 by standards 22. The final suction box 31, over which the inl- -tialrportion of the first felt conveyer '32 travels after passing the take-01f roller 34 is ,mounted upon bars 35 hung upon the roller shafts 36 and 37 respectively. The

felt 'c'onveyer 32 extends over a guide roll 40 on its return side and around a set of tension rollers 41 and 42, these rollers being so located that the take off roller 34 may be raise or lowered without materially var ing t e tensionof the conveyer.

Initial compression roller or top couch roll 45 is supported from standards 22 by swinging arms46 of ordinary construction.

The compression is regulated by levers 47 (one at each endland links 48. These parts are of ordinary -cgmstru'ction, except that they are supported from the adjustable plat form 5, and therefore require no further descri tion.

ouch roll 27 52, and a sprochet Wheel 53 mounted on the couch roll shaft 54. Shaft 50 is journaled in suitable standards 56 mounted on the bed 9, said standards supporting the shaft at a 30.- the latter is raised I adjustment.

level above the couch roll when the latter is depressed-and below the couch roll when to the limit of its upward Within the range of the desired vertical adjustment of the -couch roll, it is not necessary to vary the length 'ofsprocket chain 52 its positions of adjustment, the chain being a little slack when.the couch roll. is at the limit of its adjusting movement in either direction, and nottoo tight in the intermediate positions.

. With the constructi onabove described and as illustrated in the drawings, platform 5 maybe lowered at its rear end until it is {brought into close proximity to the bed 9,

thereby providing an extreme downward incllnatlon of the wire with a consequent rapid iflo'w of the stock along the initial portion of the wire/ When the condition of the stock requires aslower flow, it is merely necessary" to actuate the jack screws 11 and 12 to raisethe' platform at its rear end, the

front end remaining permanently at the same level as fixed by the pivot adv. Therefore the elevation of the rear end of the plat-. form 5 varies the inclination of the wire without varying the relation of the suction boxes, guide roll, couch rolls and initial comres sion roll 45, all of these being supported rorn the platform as above explained.

The take 01f roller 34 of the felt conveyer is also'supported from platform 5, this roller being journaled in'suitable supports caris positively driven from a shaft.5.0 'throu hsprocket wheel 51, chain ried by bracket 30. it will be observed that,

as the roller 34 moves upwardly toward the '1 position indicated by dotted lines in i, the distance is shortened between it mild. guide roller 62, but thedistanee is correspondingly lengthened between roller 34 and tension roller 42, whereby the tension o t the conveyer is n'laintaincd. The tension of the wire will, of course, remain the same under all adjustments, there being no variation in. the distance between the breast r'oll El and. couch roll 27. Suction box 31 moves u nvardly or downwardly in correspondence with the movement of the portion of the felt remover under whichit is supported, and therefore no other adjustment is required. I

When platform 5 is raised, at its rear end, from the position in wlnch t is illustrated in Fig. 1 toward theposition indicated by dotted lines in said figure, it is obvious that the breast roll-3 will swing slightly i'dthe right in the'direction of the vet l. "lfhe apron 2 may therefore be made loneiiudb the machine, and adjustably connected with ,the bed at other points, whereby its rear end may be raised and lowered, a set of couch rolls carried by the rear end of said support and between which said wire cloth travels,

and supporting bearings for said rollers car- 'ried by said support.

2. In a Fdu-rdriiiier machine, the coinbination with'the pulp receiving cloth, of a support for the cloth pivoted on a horizontal axis underneath the breast roll, the receiving end-of said cloth at a substantially pcrmanent elevation with reference to the source of-pulp supply, means for raising and low cring the rear end of said sup port and proportionally raisin all intermediate portions of the cloth on the pulp carrying side to vary the inclination of the pulp carrying portion thereof.

3, In a Fourdrinir machine, the combination with a pulp feeding device. of a breast roll in substantially: fixed relation to the pulp feeding device, a vertically adj ustuble couch roll, a couclrroll support pivoted to swing upwardly and downwardlv about an axis underneath the breast roll, a set of intermediate rolls and means for supporting it L1 essons them from the couch roll support, whereby" at the discharge end of said device,- a vertically adjustable couch roll, a set suction boxes interposed between the couch roll and the breast roll. a pulp carrying apron extendingin the form of an endless belt around said rollers and over the suction boxes, a platform pivotally supported at one end underneath the breast roll and adapted to be raised and lowered at the other end, and means for supporting a couch roll and suction boxes from said. platform, whereby boththe suction boxes and the couch roll may be raised or lowered in direct proportion to their distance from the breast roll by an adjustment of the svvinging end of the platform.

5. In a Fourdrinier-machine, the combination with pulp feeding, devices, a bed, a plat form pivoted to-the bed at its front end, a

pulp receiving cloth supported from said platform, and means'for raising and lowering the platform in a swinging movement upon 1ts said pivotal connection with the bed, together with a suction box supported from said platform in associatedrelation to the receiving portion of the take 0d con veyer, and means for tilting thesaid sue tion box to keep its upper surface parallel with the conveyer in various positions of platform adjustment.

(3. In a Fourth-inter machine, the combination with an initial pulp receiving cloth;

a vertically adjustable roller supporting the rear end of said cloth and over which said cloth travels, a take oil carrier, and a vertically adjustable take 0d roller over which said take oil carrier travels at its receiving end, said. rollers being located parallel to and in proximity to each other.

7. In a liourdrinicr machine, the combination ivith apulp receiving cloth, a vertically adjustable roller supporting the discharge end of said cloth apd over which the cloth passes, avertically adjustable take off roller parallel to and in proximity" to the said cloth and over which the cloth passes, a

vertically adjustable take 0d roller parallel roller, a'set of tension rollers mounted in relatively fixed supports, a take oil carrier extending around said'tension'rollei's and the take as rollers. one of said rollers being located nearlhe vertical plane of the take off rolle and the. other of said tension roll.-

ers being located rearwardly therefrom,

whereby the take off roller may be raised and lowered without materially varying the tension of the take oil carrier.

9. in a llourdrinier machine, the combination with a bed, of a platform pivotally connected with the bed, a breast roll supported from the pivoted end of the platform,

a couch roll supported from the platform distant from its pivoted end, a set of suction, boxes also supported from the platform between said rolls, another suction box supported from. the platform beyond the couch roll, a take otf roll supported from the platform between. the c'ouch roll and said last mentioned suction box, a pulp receiving cloth arranged to travel over the breast roll, the first mentioned suction box and couch roll, and a take off carrier arranged to travel over the take off roll and the suction box with which said roll is associated, and means, for raising and lowering the end of the platform distant from its pivotal connection with the bed. i

l0. .ln a Fourdrinier machine, the combination with a bed, of a platform pivotally connected with the bed, a. breast roll sup ported from the pivoted end of the' platform, a couch roll. supported from the platform distant from its pivoted end, a set of suction boxes also supported from the platform between said rolls, another suction box supported from the platform beyond the couch roll, a take off roll supported from the platform between the couch roll and said last mentioned suction box, a pulp receiving cloth arranged to travel over the breast roll, the first mentioned suction box and couch roll, and a take oil carrier arranged to travel over the take oft roll and the suction box with which said roll is associated, and means for raising, and lowering the end of the platform distant from its pivotal connection with the bed, together with means for maintaining the tension of the take olf conveyor in various positions of platform adjustment, said take of? conveyer having}, supj'iorting rolls in fixed relation to the bed, and the take oil roll being adapted for swinging movement in ta'irrespondence with the movement of the platform.

11. In a l ourdrlnier machine provided to and inprorimity to -the firsti-nentioned with an initial pulp carrier, and means for raising and lowering the same at its rear end, the combination with such carrier of a take 0d carrier, means tor raising and lowcring the initial portion 'thereof'in correspondence with the adjustmentof the other carrier, a suction box for the take ofi' carrier, means for raising and lowering the suetion box, and means for tilting the same.

12. In a Fourdrinier machine the combi-- nation With it carrier having an inclined car rying portion, means for raising the inclined carrying portion at one, end, an independ-fl ently supported suction box, means for raising and lowering the same, and 'means for tilting the suction box on an axis transverse to the carrier, whereby its upper surface may behept parallel to the carrier in the various positions of carrier adjustment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses. 

